Bankruptcy & boondoggles

The mayor's travel expenses to Tanzania are not huge, but using public funds for them violates public trust. With city services cut to the bone, $240 million of unfunded liabilities, and a $200 million backlog of street repair - one wonders, did city leaders learn ANYTHING from our fiscal crisis?

Bravo to Council members McConnell and Meissner for saying no to the boondoggle. Meanwhile, Mayor Davis says our bankruptcy is over, that opposition to his junket is personal. His supporters say the trip creates a "positive image" for Vallejo that will lead to "prosperity;" that even saying the word "bankruptcy" highlights our fiscal woes.

I say that a recently bankrupt city that sends its Mayor to Bagamoyo for "economic development" is a laughingstock; that the world has not forgotten our bankruptcy -- and we shouldn't forget, either. When you further consider Tanzania's dismal human rights record, a publicly-funded trip is especially indefensible.

If we want to put Vallejo's bankruptcy behind us, we also need to retire some related "B-words": blind spending, boondoggles, backroom deals, and council members bought by special interests.

It's not personal, Mayor Davis - it's sound public policy, namely:

1) Public funds should be spent for public benefit.

2) Fund necessities before niceties.

3) Sacrifice should be shared, and not exempt leaders. If you cut staff, salaries and services, you should cut indulgences, too.

4) Public spending should pass the tests, "is this necessary?" and, "is this the best/only way to accomplish this?"

5) We need to live within our means.

Granted, the Tanzania trip is not going to break Vallejo's budget. Yet it violates propriety.

The mistakes that led to Vallejo's bankruptcy were bad - but what's worse is refusing to learn from those mistakes. Vallejo deserves better.